Floods agency to pay new boss more than David Cameron

Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, is looking for a new Environment
Agency chairman to replace Chris Smith

Chris Smith is stepping down as chairman of the Enviroment Agency

By Tim Walker

7:30AM GMT 15 Jan 2014

While the Environment Agency has provoked widespread fears about flood defences by confirming that it is to cut hundreds of jobs next year, it is looking for one prominent person to add to its staff numbers.

Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, has begun searching for a new chairman of the agency to replace Chris Smith. The former Labour culture secretary, Lord Smith of Finsbury has held the post for six years.

The new chairman will be paid £60,632 per year and have to work only two days a week.

This would represent an annual salary of £151,580, if the chairman worked full time, £9,000 more than the Prime Minister.

The advertisement placed by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) says it is looking for a new chairman “to lead it through what it [sic] is going to be a dynamic and challenging period”.

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They can say that again. After the worst series of winter storms to blight Britain in more than 20 years left hundreds of homes flooded, the agency confirmed that more than 1,600 of its staff would lose their jobs by October, including 550 who work on flood protection.

David Cameron conceded that there were lessons to learn from the severe flooding that hit the country since Christmas Eve, but said he would “make sure they are learnt”.

The Prime Minister added: “The Environment Agency does have to make sure it controls its budgets carefully but we are making sure they invest in the front line.”

Aware, perhaps, that Cameron was reported to have told aides to “get rid of all the green crap” from energy bills, Defra says the chairman must be “equally passionate” about “improving the environment” and “growing the economy”.

The successful candidate, who must have “commercial acumen”, will be given a three-year contract and based at the agency’s headquarters in Westminster,